Automobile direction-indicator



P. A. JURIK. AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l5. 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

P. A.. JURIK. AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE l5. 1920.

Patented Feb'. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- orties.

Auronoertn arrancaron-mortieren.

LSESZ.

Specoation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application lecl .Tune l5, 1920. oSerial No. 389,058.

T 0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, Faun A. Junin, a citizenot the United States ot America, resid: ing at Kenosha, in the countyoit Kenosha and State of 'Visconsin, have invented certain new andusetul improvements in fiutomobile Direction-lndicators, o'l'i which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and usei'ul improvements inautoazuobile direction indicators and is designed to turnish anextremely practical toot-operated signaling means to warn pedestriansand others that a vehicle is about to turn either to the right or lettas the case may be.

A further object ot the invention is to provide an indicator' oi theabove kind involving normally upright arms providedV with separate meansfor operating the same whereby either may be swuns downwardly to projectbeyond a side ot the motor vehicle for indicating that the vehicle isabout to turn towardthat side, thearrangeinent, form and mounting ot theparts beingsuch as to constitute a durable and efficient device of itskind.

Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature ot the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement ot parts hereinai'termore i'ully described, illustrated in the accom.- panying drawings, andpointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part o this application and in which likedesignating characters refer tolcorreeponding parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure 1 is a top plan View ot a signal constructed. in accordance withthe present invention and shown operatively related with an automobilewhich is shown by dot ted lines,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Fig. l, partlybroken away,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon linelll-Jill' olf Fig. f2,

Fig. L is an enlarged fragmentary ele vational view showing the'toot-operating mechanism for the operating shafts ot the signalingarms,

Fig. 5 is a view ot the device shown in Fig. 4, looking at right anglesto the latter,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view ot one of the signaling arms, partly brokenaway and associated with its sprocket wheel and Fig. '7 is a sectionalView taken substan tially upon line VIL-VII of Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the several. views, the present inventionincludes a. pair ot vertically disposed plates 5 arranged transverselyot the automobile A and rigidly supported behind the rear seat ot theautomobile by suitable bolts G, spacing sleeves 7 being provided on saidbolts so as to maintain the plates rigidly in spaccdrelation to the rearseat. The plates 5 form a partial casing Jfor obscuring signaling arms 8when the latter are vertically disposed as shown with respect to one armin Fig. 2, the arms 8 being each pivoted between the plates 5 adjacentone side of the automobile upon a shaft 9 so that when said arms areswung downwardly they may project beyond the adjacent side ot theautomobile as shown in Fig. 2, with respect to one arm wherebypedestriansand others may readily see the same. lt is obvious, as -isusual with this class ot signal, that when the arm at the right handside is down the indication is that the vehicle is going to turn to theright and when the lett arm is down the indication is that the vehicleis going to turn to the lett. l

rl`he arms 8 are preferably of hollow construction and have transparentpanels l() forming the sides thereof so as to accommodate any suitableform of .illuminating means whereby the arms may be readily seen atnight time. As this illuminating teature is common in the art and noparticular claim is made lto the form used herein,

showing or description of they same is be-` lieved unnecessary. Thepanels l() of one arm may be provided with the word Bight and the otherwith the word Lett so that there will be no misunderstanding as to themeaning oi the signal. Eacharin 8 has a sprocket wheel ll rigid with theinner end thereot and rotatable upon the adjacent shailt 9, and asprocket chain 12 passes around the sprocket wheel ot one arm and alsoaround another gear i3 fixed .upon the rear end ot a shaft lll which isrotatably mounted beneath the floor of the car in the plates 5 and in asuitable bracket l5 secured underneath the door ot the vehicle adjacentthe seat a as shown in Fig. l. Another shafti6 similar to the shaft leis similarly mounted beneath the `floor ot the vehicle and has asprocket wheel lf? secured upon the rear end thereof between the plates5. second passes around the sprocket wheel 17 and also around the Y 11of the other arm 8.

by those sliilled in the Both of the shafts 14 and 16 are provided withmeans for rotating the saine by foot power including a foot-pedal orlever 19, and as the connection between each pedal 19 and its shaft isidentical, description of one will suiee. As shown in Fig. 1, thisconnection consists in a link 2G' pivoted at its upper end to the pedal19 and at its lower end to the outer end of a lever 21 which is xed uponthe shaft 141 or 16 as the case may be, it being noted that the lever 19is pivoted at oneV end as at 22 to a bracket 23 mounted upon the floorofthe vehicle, while the link 2O extends through an opening in the floorso as to connect to the lever 21. A spring 25 encircles each shaft 1liand 16 and is connected with the lever 21 thereof in such manner as tonormally hold the foot Vlever 19 raised whereby the shaft is rotated tomaintain the arms 8 vertical position. Y

It will thus be seen thatwhen one pedal is depressed, rotation of theshaft 14 ensues normally in Y hidden and is imparted to the left handVarm to swing the same down into an exposed position from the verticalhidden position of Fig. 2. Also, when the pedal is released, the spring25 immediately returns the lefthand'arm to its hidden position again.`Similarly, when the other foot pedal 19 is depressed, the right handarm is moved to its position of Fig. 2 and when said foot lever isreleased the associated spring' 25 will return the right hand arm toaposition wherein the same is hidden as is the case with thev showing ofthe left hand arm in Fig. 2. c Y

It is believed that the construction and operation as well as theadvantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood,from theV foregoing description art.

Minor changes may be made therein without'departing from the spirit andscope of my invention. 'A

Havingl thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i l. An automobile signal comprising ashaft, means to rotatably mount said shaft longitudinally of anautomobile beneath the floor of the latter so that the forward end ofthe shaft terminates at a point in front of the drivers'seat and so thatthe rear end ofV the shaft vterminates at a point rearwardly of saidseat, a pair of transversely'arranged and verticali disposed plates,means to rigidly mount said plates in spaced relation earwardly of saidseat, said shaft having its rear end journaled in the lower portion ofsaid plates, a second shaft, means to rotatably mount said second shaftlongitudinally of the automobile so that its ends terminate similarlywith respect to the first named shaft, a signal arm pivoted between theplates for vertical swinging movement each side of the automobile andeach arm having a sprocket wheel connected thereto, sprocket connectionsbetween eaclipshaft and one of said arms, and foot-operated means infront of the drivers seat operatively cennected to each shaft 'forselectively causing the arms to lower from between the plates to anexposed position.

2. An automobile signal comp"A shaft, means to rotatably mount d'shaii'tlongitudinally of an automobile beneath the floor of the latter so thatthe forward end of the shaft terminates at a point in front oit thedrivers seat and so that the rear end of the shaft terminates at a pointrearwa diy of said seat, a pair of transversely arranged and verticallydisposed plates, means to rigidly `mount said plates in spaced relationrearwardly of said seat, said shaft ,havi its rear end journaled in theVlower portion of said plates, a second shaft, means 'to rotatahlyjmountsaid `second shaft longitudinally of the automobile so that its endster; minato similarly with respect to the `first i, Le

named shaft, signal arm'pivoted betweenthel plates for vertical swingingmovementateach side of thevautomobile, operating' connections betweeneach shaft and one said arms, and means in front of the drive'ris seatVoperatively connected to each shaft for selectively causing the arms tolowerpfrom between the plates to an'exposed position.

In testimonywhereof l athx my signature;

PAUL A. JURK.'

